Maximum family income level requirements can be confusing for families of children with disabilities collecting Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The guidelines change depending on if there is a single parent or two parents in the home. Also, whether the parents' income is earned or unearned makes a difference. If income coming into the home is a mixture of the two, then it gets even more complicated. Knowing what to expect and how to plan ahead for financial needs is much easier once you understand how your income affects your child's SSI.

Single/Earned

If you are a single parent whose income is all earned (your income is from your job), then your child can qualify for SSI benefits if you make $3,158 a month or less. For each additional child in the household, you are allowed to make an additional $337 per month. The higher your income, the less SSI benefit your child will receive because a portion of your income is considered available to your child.

Single/Unearned

If your income is unearned (Social Security, unemployment compensation and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are a few examples) as a single parent, then you can receive $1,725 a month in income. Each child living in the household will allow you to make an additional $337 a month without decreasing benefits to your disabled child.

Couple/Earned

In a two-parent household, an earned family income of $3,832 can be made and your child will still receive disability benefits from SSI. An additional $337 a month income is allowed per child without affecting the benefits of your disabled child. For example, a couple with three children can make $4,506 a month and still receive SSI benefits for their disabled child.

Couple/Unearned

A couple with an unearned income and a disabled child will receive SSI benefits for their disabled child if they make $2,062 a month or less. An additional $337 income is permitted for each additional child in the household without reducing the SSI benefit to the child with a disability.